The present invention relates to portable partition panels, and in particular to a vertically extensible, self-storing partition panel.
Portable partition systems for open office spaces, and other similar settings are well known in the art. Individual partition panels are interconnected in different configurations to form separate offices or workstations. The partition panels are extremely durable, and can be readily disassembled and reassembled into alternative configurations to meet the everchanging needs of the user. Examples of such partition systems are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,831,330; 4,144,924, which are owned by Steelcase Inc., the assignee of the present application.
The ability to provide different height panels in any given furniture system has become a significant advantage in landscaping modern open office spaces. Heretofore, partition heights in a system could be varied by providing a plurality of different height panels, or alternatively vertically stacking smaller panels upon one another to achieve the desired panel height. Such prior furniture systems have certain drawbacks and disadvantages, particularly with respect to the need to inventory multiple panel sizes, and the storage of excess panels.